The Computer

I would like to show off our high tech corner of the house. My husband likes to refer to me as the electronics black hole. And while I would like to put up a good argument why that title is unfounded and totally out of line, I really have no case.

What you see in this picture is a series of components that are not meant to function together as we have done. First is the laptop. It should function as a stand alone piece. Alas, that is not the case. I will do a little back step and tell you that this happens to be my second laptop. My first met its demise under the crushing blow of my car tire. You see, I took it to work once. In the melee of trying to get kids and bags and computers into the car, it was all over. I thought, "I am just going to set this laptop on my hood to keep it safe while I buckle my kids into their seats." Well, I forgot and drove off. Some sweet lady waved me down to let me know. I couldn't quite make out what she was trying to say, so I slammed on my brakes, the computer went flying and then I ran over it with my tires. RIP.

Pictured above is the replacement laptop. Not two months after purchase, someone spilled a sticky beverage into the keyboard. I would like to blame the girls, but I simply cannot. It was all me. So at this point, i was trying to function without the use of the "E", "S", "A" or "T" because they were permanently stuck. Almost impossible if your name is Tracie. Then Micah helped by plucking several other keys off. My husband, who is understandably annoyed, but by now accepts the lot he has chosen, bought a new keyboard for me.

At this point, I have a laptop with an external keyboard. Not quite the model of efficiency.

In the meantime, my usual workspace is the couch and ottoman. With my children running wild through there all the time and my propensity to trip over wires, the computer catapulted to the floor several times each day. It wasn't long before the LCD screen started having issues. For about two months you had to physically squeeze the edges of the screen tightly together or the screen would develop a wave and you would lose visibility.

Now we realized we needed to either buy a new computer or find another solution. Because we were trying to be as frugal as possible (and because I know that I am not really to be trusted with anything electronic of good quality), we thought the best solution was to buy a monitor. The laptop would be plugged into it and would serve as simply the CPU. Then in a scheme of being even cheaper, we dug out the ancient monitor from our very first computer.

Currently our fine set up features a laptop with a broken LCD screen, keys that are all stuck together or plucked off. A keyboard that currently has the letter "Z" that sticks and usually prints about 15 in a row before I can stop it. A monitor that is at least 10 years old and is enormous. And a wireless mouse (fancy, right?), except that it never picks up its signal, so you constantly have to unplug and replug it in.

The funny thing about all of this is that I just really don't care at all. It all seems to work for now; I haven't had to purchase anything new; and I don't live in anticipation that I might ruin something valuable. While everyone is running around with their iPads or the like, I am strapped to my desk with relic equipment and couldn't care less.